Albert Heinrich Riise
Albert Heinrich Riise | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Ærøskøbing, Denmark |
| Died | October 18, 1882 (aged 72) |
| Occupation(s) | Pharmacist, entrepreneur, rum producer |
| Known for | A.H. Riise rum |
Albert Heinrich Riise (born 11 September 1810, died 18 October 1882), commonly referred to as A. H. Riise, was a Danish pharmacist, entrepreneur, and rum producer based on Saint Thomas in the Danish West Indies. The renowned A.H. Riise rum label still carries his name today. Toward the end of his life, he resettled in Denmark, where Sankt Thomas Plads in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen honors his former residence. He was also the father of the photographer Frederik Riise.
Early life and education
Albert was born to Jens Christian Riise (1773–1814), a skipper and merchant, and Margrethe Elisabeth Krabbe (1779–1869). Following his father's death at sea, Albert undertook pharmacy apprenticeships in Ærøskøbing and Fåborg between 1825 and 1830. He then relocated to Copenhagen, where he completed his pharmaceutical education in 1832 while gaining experience at several city pharmacies.
Pharmacist on St. Thomas
In 1838, Riise obtained a pharmacist license for the Danish West Indies and subsequently arrived on Saint Thomas. Initially employed at a pharmacy operated by a physician, he partnered with another pharmacist to establish his own pharmacy in 1839, becoming its sole proprietor by 1843. His enterprise flourished, aided by trips to the United States and Trinidad.
The St. Thomas Pharmacy gained widespread acclaim throughout the Caribbean for its broad inventory of pharmaceutical supplies and household items.
Driven by a passion for botany, Riise harnessed local Caribbean flora and fauna to develop pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and alcoholic products.[1] Additionally, he amassed zoological specimens that were sent to European museums, making significant contributions to scientific knowledge of Caribbean amphibians and reptiles. His collections formed the basis for research conducted by Danish zoologists Johannes Theodor Reinhardt and Christian Frederik Lütken, although some descriptions were first published by American scientist Edward Drinker Cope in 1862.[2][3][4]
Manufacturer of rum
Riise's Bay Rum—a rum infused with oil extracted from Pimenta racemosa—was instrumental in establishing his commercial success. He also gained recognition for distilling and marketing bitters derived from the West Indies, which were traditionally used for medicinal purposes. His West Indies rum enjoyed extensive exportation and was particularly favored in Denmark.
Among Riise's rum offerings were Old St. Croix Brand, Riise's Guava Rum, and A.H. Riise Rum. A Caribbean rum collection attributed to him continues production under Dansk-Vestindisk Rom Kompagni.
After his passing, a company utilizing one of these trademarks was awarded a medal at the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893.
Return to Denmark
During the cholera, yellow fever, and smallpox outbreaks of 1868, Riise’s family left for Denmark with plans to stay for a year but ended up settling there permanently. The pharmacy in St. Thomas was handed over to an assistant who married Riise’s daughter; their offspring later became a pharmacist in Ærøskøbing.
Riise acquired a villa on Frederiksberg Allé, which he named Sankt Thomas. Following his death in 1882, the property was sold and transformed into an amusement park known as St. Thomas.
He held the position of director at the Bank of St. Thomas and was honored with knighthoods from both the Danish Order of the Dannebrog and the Swedish Order of Vasa in 1868. In 1878, he was further distinguished with the title of etatsråd.
Riise’s final resting place is at Solbjerg Park Cemetery, and a memorial plaque commemorates him at his birthplace in Ærøskøbing.
Personal life
On 27 January 1842, in Frederiksted on St. Croix, he wed Henriette Marie Worm (1821–1889). Together, they had thirteen children, among them photographer Frederik Riise and pharmacist Valdemar Riise, who took over management of the pharmacy after him.
External links
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:0 - ↑ Davidson, Jane (1997). The Bone Sharp: The Life of Edward Drinker Cope. Academy of Natural Sciences. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-910006-53-8.
- ↑ Cope, Edward Drinker (February 1862). "Notes and Descriptions of Anoles". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 13 (2): 209.
- ↑ Reinhardt, Johannes Theodor; Lütken, Christian Frederik (14 February 1862). "Bidrag til det vestindiske Öriges og navnligen til de dansk-vestindiske öers Herpetologie". Videnskabelige Meddelelser fra den naturhistoriske Forening i Kjöbenhavn. 10 (18): 153–343.